Tata Trust to Support Khan Academy in promoting free education

The Chairman Emeritus of Tata Groups Ratan Tata said that the Tata Trust will support Khan Academy, a US based non-profit organization in promoting free online education. Though the details about resource sharing have not been revealed yet, Mr. Tata said the promise of free access to quality education is the new era and a compelling opportunity to multiply literacy rates.

He has also said that as an Indian and a citizen on this planet, it’s a great privilege to be a part of such an initiative.

Salman Khan, the founder of Khan Academy said that it is in the process of creating specialized contents in Hindi and English for the benefit of Indians. He said Indian students are already using its free online classes, and this new concept launched is refreshingly different and will make tremendous difference in India.

Mr. Khan said there is a sense of appreciation for his works unlike during the initial times, when his idea was termed delusional by many. He said the Indian content will be mapped along the standards of NCERT, with the translation and subtitling of videos already begun. Saying that the initiative will play a complimentary role to the existing system, Mr. Khan also emphasized on the development of contents in regional languages.

Replying to the questions about the difficulties in operating online classes in India with a low and expensive bandwidth, Ratan Tata said the demand for connectivity will make exponential connectivity possible. Mr. Khan also said that the trends of broadband adoption in India are positive.

The two parties were introduced to each other by an Italy based friend of Mr. Salman, according to whom the non-for-profits are needed where markets have failed. He has also lauded the efforts of the Tata Group in always supporting such social responsibility ventures.